Hay-loader



(No Model.)

J. W. FOUST.

HAY LOADER.

R M 8 W 7 2 H 0 P III: .I, a! a .7 om 8 BY W 7 ATTORNEYS UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

JAMES WILSON FOUST, OF ROCK FALLS, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS A. GALT AND GEORGES. TRACY, OF STERLING, ILLINOIS.

HAY-LOADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,383, dated October27, 1885.

Application filed September 10 1884. Serial No. 142,633. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES WILsoN FoUsr, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rock Falls, in the county of WVhiteside and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHay-Loaders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention has reference to improvements in that class of hay-loadersin which a revolving rake caststhe hay upon an elevator, and pertainsmore especially to certain novel mechanism in the following particulars:First, in providing an adjustable bed for the bars which carry therake-teeth, whereby such bars may yield toward the center of therevolving rake and prevent breakage of the parts when passing overobstructions or inequalities in the surface of the ground; second, inpivoting the rake-bars eceentrically, so that the gravity of such barswill turn the teeth to and hold them in a vertical position when nototherwise positively affected, as hereinafter described; third, atrip-lever pivotally seated on the rake journal-box, to guide therake-teeth between the slats of the elevator in backing or turning therake; fourth, the provision of a forked shoe to bestride the rear of therakehead and prevent the hay from wedgingbetween such wheel and theframe of the machine; fifth, theinterposition of a carrying-spur tosustain the elevator-chain clear of the rake-bars.

As my present invention consists of certain improvements on thehay-loader for which Letters Patent of the United States were granted meNovember 18, 1862, No. 36,947, and also October 16, 1866, N 0. 58,804, Ido not deem it necessary to show or describe anything further than theparts containing my present invention and their mode of attachment tothe machine.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in perspective of part of a machineembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an end View of one of the rake-bars,showing the mode of pivoting such bar in the spoke of the rake-head.Fig. 3 is a detached view of the shoe for keeping the rake-head clear ofhay. Fig. 4 is an endview of the axle, showing the trip-lever.

A is the frame of the machine.

B B are the carrying-wheels and also the heads of the rake, and arerigidly attached to the axle O, the latterbeing suitably journaled atpoints outside of such wheels to theframeA.

D D are the oscillating bars which carry the teeth D.

E E are arms, bent at right angles, used for pivotally hanging the barsD in the spokes F of the rake-heads B. The inner ends of the arms Econsist of a collar, a, which is rigidly fastened around the end of thebarD, with the horizontal portion of the arm E on the same side of thecenter of such bar from which the teeth D project, so that when such baris hanging loosely in the spokes F, supported by the horizontal part ofthe arm E, the rake-teeth will point upward in nearly or quite avertical position, by reason of the center of gravity of the rake-barbeing below its points of support. The teeth D are placed in anysuitable mode upon the rake-bar D so as to project in a line from oneside of the latter. In each spoke F, and lengthwise thereof, is formedan elongated slot, 1), and also a socket, 0, extending from the innerendof such slot ashort distance toward the center of the wheel B. In thesocket c is placed a coiled spring, d, which extends nearly to the outerend of the slot 1). A short pin, 6, having a concave head, is placed onthe under side of the horizontal portion of the arm E, and projectedinto the spring (I where the arm E is placed in the slot b, thehorizontal part of the arm E resting and oscillating in the concavity ofthe head of the pin 6. The pin 6 serves to hold the outer end of thespring (1 in place, while the inner end of such spring is contained inthe socket 0. By this construction the horizontal part of the armE,which forms the pivotal bearing of the bar D, is adjustably held bythe spring d against the outer end of the slot 1), and as the outer endof such slot is downward when its rake-bar is next the ground, thepressure of any obstacle or unevenness of the surface of the ground willbe provided for by the bar D yielding inward or toward the center of therake, thereby .avoid-.

ing undue strain .upon or breakage of the parts. The portion of the armE which supports the bar D being outside of the line of the latter, itis obvious that the bar D will of its own gravity swing under the lineof such support and turn the teeth upward when free so to do. On one endof each rake-bar D the outer end of the arm E is formed into a guidearm,G, and for convenience such arm is placed alternately at different endsof the succeeding rake-bars D. On the outside of the wheel B, andextending inwardly from its rim, are formed the flanges H, and attachedto the frame A is a segment, I. The arm G is of such conformation, andthe flanges H and segment I in such relation, that in the rotation ofthe rake the outside of such arm G, after the bar D has started on itsdownward movement, rests upon the flange H, and the lower side of theouter or free end of such arm G engages the lower end of the cam orsegment I, and is forced upward past the lower end of such cam by theorbital movement of the rak ebar until such rake-bar has made ahalf-axial I from the ground and to turn such teeth in a position tothrow the hay upward and forward upon the elevator K, and when this isaccomplished, and the arm G passed beyond the upper end of the segmentI, the bar D being released automatically swings into a position withthe teeth D upward, and in that position passes downward from betweenthe slats of the elevator K, leaving the hay upon the latter.

It is sometimes necessary to move the machine backward, and in suchevent the raketeeth are apt to come in contact with the slats of theelevator. In order to prevent this,I place a trip-lever, L, inside ofthe frame A, on the iron box in which the axle O is journaled. The leverL is pivoted near its front end so that its rear end rests upon the saidbox, while its front end is somewhat elevated. In the forward movementof the rake the lever L has no operation, but in the backward movementof. the'rake the free end of the lever L engages the lower end of thearm G, and guides the teeth D between the slats of the elevator.

V M is a forked shoe, suitably attached to the frame A in such aposition as to loosely encircle the rim of the wheel B at the rear ofthe latter slightly below its center, leaving at the front end of suchshoe an open interval suflicient only for the passage of the spokes Fand flanges H. The purpose and function of the shoe M is to prevent theloose hay from wedging between the wheel and the frame.

N N are horizontal spurs formed on the inside of the spokes F outside ofthe slots 1). On these spurs are sustained and carried theelevator-chains O, and the latter are thereby prevented from resting onthe roller-bars D, or interfering with the flexibility or operation ofthe latter.

In former constructions, where the rakebars D had no movement to or fromthe center of the rake, the elevator chains could be carried on suchrake-bars, but in my invention to permit the elevator-chains to restupon the rake-bars would force the latter too much toward the center ofthe rake, and would otherwise impede their operation.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent ofthe United States, is

1. The combination of the rake-head B, pro-' vided with radial slots b,the rake-bar D,seated in such slot, and the spring d, whereby suchrake-bar is rendered flexible in the line of 0 such slot, substantiallyas shown, and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the wheel B, provided with radial slots b, therake-bar D,seat-ed in such slots, the arm E, the arm G, spring d, andcam I, substantially as shown, and for the purpose described.

3. The combination of the trip-lever L, spokes F, and bars D, providedwith the arms G, substantially as shown, and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WILSON FOUST.

Witnesses:

J. B. PATTERSON, E. A. EMMoNs.

